This episode: If God is in a place, we would expect Him to do powerful things in men's lives, including delivering them from sexual sin.
Pure Life LIVE: Join us June 28th! We're hosting our first live Q&A for Wives.
Timeless Truths: We must be on guard against any teachers that appeal to our fleshly desires.
New sermon: Nate Danser helps unveil God’s hatred for sin in order to grasp the true weight of His mercy.
Did Jesus ever say that the practice of homosexuality was a sin? Absolutely, He did!
Did Jesus ever say that the practice of homosexuality was a sin? Absolutely, He did! But because He did not say so explicitly, a growing number of today’s clergy and church-going lay-folk assume that Jesus condones and even blesses same-gender sex.
Until recently, it was enough to refer to an Old Testament passage like Leviticus 18:1-23, in which same-gender sexual activity is condemned alongside incest and bestiality, to convince someone that the Scripture considers homosexuality a sin. But now, clergy and lay-folk alike are prone to dismiss such Hebrew Scriptures as belonging to a time when the “old covenant” was operational, when God held His people to a different standard that is no longer binding for the Church today.
What about New Testament passages like the words of Paul in Romans 1:26? Here same-gender sexual activity is unambiguously described and summarily condemned. Once again, such passages are dismissed for reasons ranging anywhere from “Paul’s words do not carry the same weight as the words of Jesus” to “Paul was, himself, a repressed homosexual.”
So in discounting what the Old Testament teaches about homosexuality, as well as what the New Testament Epistles have to say, how does one account for the words of Jesus in Mark 7:21-23?
“That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, adulteries, murder, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things come from within a man and defile him.” (NASB)
When Jesus said this, He was, in part, reproving some of the Pharisees who had been congratulating themselves on their outward show of religion. At the same time, they were no less likely to exhibit behaviors that everybody agreed were “evil” and “defiling.” Jesus also spoke these words to His disciples, all of them Jews, all of them living in Israel at a time when the culture-at-large was guided by the Hebrew Scriptures. No Jew would deny that murder was a sin, or theft, adultery, covetousness, and slander.
But what did Jesus mean when, in addition to “adulteries,” He added “sexual immoralities” to the list? These words are a translation of the Greek word porneia (πορνεία, ας, ἡ). Among non-Jews in the culture surrounding Israel, porneia referred to “generally, of every kind of extramarital, unlawful, or unnatural sexual intercourse; extramarital intercourse, sexual immorality, fornication." (1) Adultery, incest, rape, bestiality, homosexuality, and prostitution were among such behaviors, and within the Greco/Roman culture were considered sexually immoral.
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So, what acts were considered to be sexually immoral among the Jews? What did Jews consider to be porneia? There was widespread agreement that incest, bestiality, and homosexuality were among those behaviors that “defiled a person.” And the Jews believed that because their whole way of life was rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, including Leviticus 18:1-23.
To be sure, Jesus never explicitly labeled bestiality, incest, or rape as behaviors that were evil. Nor did Jesus explicitly identify the practice of homosexuality as that which defiles a person. Yet, when Jesus distinguished porneia from adultery, His disciples surely understood that He meant to include homosexuality along with incest and bestiality.
In short, those who claim that Jesus was silent on the matter of homosexuality ought to consider how He used the word porneia in the context of His time, place, and culture. Intellectual honesty demands this in today’s Church, among clergy and lay-folk alike.
Certainly, Jesus taught that sexual immorality—including homosexual behavior—was a sin, no less than envy, theft, or murder. And for each of these, Jesus also spoke of the incredible life of victory He offers us when we turn from our sin and when we seek to abide in the love He has for us. In response to the apostle Paul who was going through his own terrible times of struggle, Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul learned that, in spite of his weaknesses, Jesus supplied him with all he needed to persevere and find victory.
The same grace extended to Paul is sufficient for us. It’s the grace of Jesus that enables us to resist temptation. It’s His grace that keeps us from being overwhelmed by the “I’ll never”s and the “not me”s that plague our thinking. Best of all, it’s this amazing grace that empowers us to experience joy-filled lives of faith, fellowship, and intimacy, despite whatever temptations may come our way. Jesus knows exactly what we’re going through. Though He never sinned, He was “tempted in every way” (Hebrews 4:15). Yet, for our sakes, because of His amazing love and His amazing grace, Jesus carried His cross and endured the weight of our sins, so that now we are empowered to carry the weight our own crosses. Truly, truly, there’s victory in Jesus.
(1) Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament
There are two ways a person affects other people when they view pornography. The first is direct, the second is indirect.
At 8:30 PM, Mike's phone rang. It was Jill, his fiancée. He sighed and let it go to voicemail. What could she possibly want to talk about? They had just spent the day together.
30 seconds later, she called again. Again he ignored her call, and continued staring at the computer screen. And again 30 seconds later.
20 minutes later he closed the laptop, and casually dialed his fiancée’s number.
"Where were you!?!" Jill yelled, half-screaming, half-crying. "I tried calling you 3 times!"
"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked, feeling guilty that he hadn't picked up.
She was almost hysterical. "While I was driving home, some guys stopped next to me at a stoplight, and said some really nasty things to me. I rolled up my windows and locked my doors, but then they got behind me. They turned their lights out and got right on my tail for almost 5 miles. I was freaking out! What were you doing??"
He instantly filled with shame. He couldn't tell her the truth. It was too much to admit.
He had been watching porn.
Pornography is one of America's most pervasive problems. Technological progress has joined hands with our culture's obsession with sex to offer limitless access to adult content. The voices in favor of pornography vastly outnumber those who cry out against its evils, and this has left plenty of room for men and women to justify their actions and soothe their wounded consciences.
One common justification seeks to plead innocence for pornography use by claiming that it only affects the person using it. In some ways, this scenario is more plausible than ever before. Today, a man can access as much pornography as he wants in the privacy of his own bedroom. He doesn't have to risk exposing his family to shame by purchasing an adult magazine at the local grocery store or by sneaking into an adult movie theater, where someone he knows might see him.
And so the question, "Doesn't it affect only me?" seems reasonable. However, just as the physical realm has laws which cannot be altered, so the spiritual realm has its laws. The truth is this: A person who jumps off a cliff cannot keep his body from hitting the ground, and a person who watches pornography cannot keep from negatively affecting other people.
There are two main areas in which people who view pornography are bound to affect other people by their actions. The first is direct, the second is indirect.
The apostle Paul told the Ephesian church that they ought to put off their former way of life, because it was "being corrupted through its deceitful desires." (Ephesians 4:18 AMP). He also told the Galatians to diligently fight against sowing to the flesh, because he that "sows to his flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and corruption." (Galatians 6:8).
When a person sows to his lower nature by watching pornography, he sows a great degree of moral corruption into his spiritual life, and he is bound to reap nasty spiritual consequences. Some will reap the corruption of an increasingly explosive temper. Others harvest a general apathy toward life, and show no healthy desire to take care of themselves or fulfill their responsibilities. Still others bear the fruit of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc.
It is not difficult to see how this will affect other people. Whenever anything doesn't go his way at home, Ken lashes out at his wife and children. Jeremy squanders the money his parents paid for college by spending 5 hours a day watching porn. He skips classes, barely passes tests, and forgets to pay his bills. Lina is trapped in porn and begins to get depressed. She feels fat compared to the women she sees, and starts forcing herself to throw up after every meal. Her friends constantly worry about her, often wondering how they can help her.
Often when people are addicted to pornography, they are unable to see the changes that are taking place in their personalities, emotions and characters. However, even if other people cannot discern the source of the problem, they certainly feel the sting of the consequences.
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The second way a person's pornography affects other people is more indirect, but equally as damaging. Just as pornography introduces a moral corruption into a man's nature which makes him what he should not be, it also hinders him from becoming what he should be.
The Word of God tells us that we were "created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10 NIV) However, Jesus qualifies this statement by saying that "just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me." (John 15:4 HCSB)
A person who is regularly indulging in pornography is cutting himself off from the spiritual influence of Jesus, the Heavenly vine. If the person is not completely spiritually dead already, he or she is extremely sick. This spiritual sickness will always hinder a person’s effectiveness in the works that Christ has called him to do.
Pornography kills our passion for God. It destroys our ability to comprehend spiritual truths. It withers our desire to spend ourselves for God's kingdom. It distorts our perspectives and gives us a skewed view of right and wrong.
Who knows how many men have been called into serving their local church, or even into full-time ministry work, whose calling has been aborted by getting involved with pornography? Filled with the shame of an impure life, they rightly feel that they are disqualified from ministry.
How many fathers are unable to lead their wives and children spiritually because of their own secret sins? They wish they could instruct and guide, but the boldness which comes from a clean conscience is undermined by lack of personal victory. The position of spiritual authority is vacant in their homes, or inappropriately filled by their wives. Therefore, the shaping of their children’s spiritual and moral character comes from their peers, the perverse culture around them, or their own corrupt natures.
How many young men and women have been called to take a stand for righteousness in their schools or workplaces, but their morals have been eroded to such a great degree that they have no real testimony of Christ and His truth?
On the other hand, there are some that get involved in pornography while in full-time ministry, and must force themselves to go through the motions of ministry. While God may choose to bless other people through their ministry, there will most certainly come a time when they will either be exposed, or they will simply quit. Secret sins and corrupt influences eventually steal away the power that should be available to everyone who does God's work in the earth.
The negative effects of a person’s pornography use on the people around them is indisputable, and simply incalculable. But the truth is, even if it were possible to avoid affecting the people in your sphere of influence, there is Someone who has already been affected by your sin.
"He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5 ESV)
Jesus, the humble Lamb of God was affected by our sin. The clear teaching of Scripture is that Jesus Christ was beaten, bruised, tortured and put to death upon a Roman cross as a direct result of the sins of humanity. Our sins require an eternal weight of condemnation, and because God was not willing to simply send us all to hell, He ordained that His Son would be brutalized for us. It was the only way that God could justly forgive our sins and bring us into the way of peace.
As long as we willingly allow ourselves to be deceived into thinking that we are only affecting ourselves when we watch pornography, many of us will never care enough to really want to change. May we allow our eyes to open, painful as that experience may be, to the reality that pornography is never a victimless crime. And may the Lord grant repentance to all who are in need, so that their lives might affect everyone around them, not for evil, but for their good and God's glory.
Despite the fact that the tassels and phylacteries have long since gone by the wayside, the spirit of Phariseeism remains alive and well.
Although we don’t typically associate sexual sin with the leading sect of Judaism during Jesus’ time, I can assure you it thrived within their ranks. And despite the fact that the tassels and phylacteries have long since gone by the wayside, the spirit of Phariseeism remains alive and well within the postmodern Christian Church. Yes, we have our Pharisees……..and many of them are terribly addicted to sexual sin.
What most complicates any efforts to help them find freedom is their skewed concept of Christianity. For instance, if I tell this man to turn to Christ as the answer to his problems, he will only interpret such advice as an invitation to more zealously throw himself into his modern formalism. What he does not realize is that the very religious system he has embraced is keeping him from the vibrant life in God that will set him free. He is locked into a prison of SELF; Phariseeism is, above all else, a religion of SELF. Until he gets free from that prison, he will never find what a former Pharisee named Paul wrote about: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (II Corinthians 3:17)
The modern sex addict has much in common with the original Pharisees.
They excel in fastidiously presenting themselves as godly, when in reality they are full of “uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:27) They live a double life—maintaining an appearance of godliness while giving over in their minds to all manner of perversion. They have learned that it is much easier to exaggerate one’s godliness to family and friends than to fight for the real thing.
Jesus warned His disciples about the contamination of false spirituality: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” (Luke 12:1) The best present-day analogy to this admonition would be the warning signs one might encounter along a highway: “CAUTION!” “WARNING!” “STOP!” “DANGER!” “WATCH OUT!” Jesus’ use of such a strong term as “beware” shows how extremely hazardous He considered hypocrisy to be. The following are some of the reasons it is so dangerous:
Fully persuaded that true religion is a matter of the heart, the N.T. writers repeatedly exhorted those first-century believers to strive for the reality of God in their lives rather than settling for a vain religion characterized by legalism and outward acts of devotion.
Jesus summarized the true foundation of religion when He told His followers that loving God and loving others were the “great and foremost commandment[s].” (Matthew 22:37-40) But Pharisees are experts at stressing minor points of the law and de-emphasizing the heart-reality of the Lord’s words. Jesus told the hypocrites of His day, “You tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness… You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” (Matthew 23:23-24)
Admittedly, no one is weighing out spices today, but there are many who side-step the sacrificial life of true Christianity by giving undo importance to pet doctrinal systems. Of course, it is proper to contend earnestly for the tenets of the faith (i.e. the virgin birth of Christ, the Trinity, etc.). However, Pharisees are marked as those who lack the humility and maturity to allow other Christians to hold differing viewpoints on secondary doctrinal issues like eternal security, the timing of the rapture, divorce and remarriage, and so on. It is nothing more than the ugly pride that stems from a self-centered life.
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Is it possible for a person to regularly attend a Bible-believing evangelical church and not know God? Absolutely. “Wheat and tares” grow together but have completely different eternal destinations. I am convinced that there are many who know the Lord intellectually and academically but not personally and intimately.
Can you imagine a man being married to a woman on paper only? What kind of marriage would it be if all they had was a cold and formal relationship? Even our judicial system allows for the annulment of a marriage that hasn’t been consummated. And yet, for many, a relationship to God means no more than what they consider to be a ticket to heaven. A true believer has regular, vibrant interaction with the Lord. His love for God is proven in his daily life. “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love,” John wrote. (I John 4:8)
Paul said that they hold “to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power.” (II Timothy 3:5) There is one and only one definition for the word gospel in Scripture: Paul said “it is the power of God…” (Romans 1:16) It is not dogma. It is not a social movement called Evangelicalism. It is not found in the academic dissertations of some lifeless seminary. The gospel—whether or not we want to acknowledge it—is simply the power of God activated in people’s hearts. Powerless religion masquerades as either an anemic facsimile or an outright fraud!
No one who is presently caught in the trap of modern-day Phariseeism need remain there. Freedom from that prison is found in the same place one finds liberty from sexual sin: in the abundant life offered every true believer in Christ. Jesus reached out repeatedly to the Pharisees of His day, imploring them to turn from their hypocrisy—and He’s doing the same in these last days. Brother or sister, if you are locked into the stale emptiness of dead religion, repent of it and start praying for a fresh touch from the Holy Spirit. He will gladly answer your prayer!
One sorrow cares only about the personal cost of sin. The other cares about the offense to God and the impact on other people.
When King Saul had conquered the Amalekites, but disobeyed the Lord’s instructions in sparing their king and the choicest of their flocks and herds, he was confronted by the prophet Samuel. Saul made excuses. He insisted that he had obeyed the Lord. He shifted the blame. He claimed that saving the flocks for sacrifice to the Lord was the people’s idea. It was then that Samuel uttered these memorable words, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22) Saul admitted to the prophet, “I have sinned,” yet he asked to be honored in the sight of his elders. He wanted to avoid public reproach, to save face. He wanted his reputation to remain intact. He confessed his sin, yet remained selfish to the end.
When King David was confronted by the prophet Nathan over his sin, his reaction was decidedly different. Surely his sin was grievous, for he had committed adultery with a married woman and then arranged the death of her husband as a cover up. At the moment his crimes were revealed, David became undone. He confessed, “I have sinned against the Lord!” He then cried out to the Lord, fasted, and lay upon the ground day and night for seven days, pleading for the life of his infant son. David was not concerned about himself. He cared nothing of what others thought. He grieved before God about the effect his sin had on others.
Here in stark contrast we see the difference between the worldly sorrow of Saul and the godly sorrow of David. One is completely selfish, and cares only about the personal cost of sin. The other is sorrow towards God, and cares about the offense to His holiness, and the impact of the sin upon others.
David’s confession and repentance before God are vividly displayed in both Psalm 32 and Psalm 51. Here we see his heart, as he cries out “Against You, You only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight.” (51:4) And again, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (51:17) There is no trace of selfishness in David’s words. He was a broken man.
The Apostle Paul contrasts worldly and godly sorrow in his second letter to the Corinthian church. He writes: “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10) In other words, if one’s sorrow is sorrow towards God, in recognition that all sin is first against His holiness, and is utterly unselfish in its focus, it will lead to real repentance. Real repentance is a change of heart that allows a person to turn completely from their sin and turn back to God. Repentance leads to salvation and life. But if one’s remorse and regret remain selfish and self-centered, such sorrow only brings death.
Here is an example that is anchored in real life. We see this many times over in the lives of men who come to Pure Life Ministries. Two men come before God because they have been exposed in their sexual sin. Both have hurt their families. Both have lost their jobs. Both have suffered financial loss. Both have incurred damage to their reputations. In so many ways, their stories are identical and all too common. Yet their reaction to their situation is so different.
The first man cries out to God, begging for mercy, for his sins are an affront to God Himself. He pleads, not for himself, but for his wife and children. He knows that the losses he has incurred have hurt others, but are the just due for his sins. He begs for forgiveness because he misses fellowship with God. He comes to understand that Jesus has paid for his sins with His blood. He has a true change of heart, and hates the sin that he once cherished. By faith he receives God’s forgiveness, and is cleansed and restored.
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The second man cries out to God also. He confesses his sins. He admits his wrongdoing. But he remains completely self-focused. He grieves over his losses. He bemoans the unfair treatment he has received. He demands justice. He has great remorse and regret, but for his own pain, and not for the pain of others. There is no brokenness. Finally, he plunges into self-pity and despair.
Two very different reactions. One is godly sorrow, and one is worldly. One leads to salvation and life. The other leads only to death.
On the night before the Cross, one of Jesus’ disciples betrayed Him, and one denied Him. All sins are acts of selfishness and are grievous offenses to a holy God. Both of these sins were against the person of Jesus Himself. The Bible records how Judas and Peter responded later. The Scriptures tell us that Judas “repented himself” (Matthew 27:3 KJV), and the very word that Matthew used (metamelomai) to describe Judas indicates that his regret and remorse were completely self-centered. He was sorrowful, but not even for the plight of Jesus. He was only sorry for himself. Matthew did not choose the more common word for repentance (metanoeo) used throughout the New Testament that means to change one’s mind and behavior for the better because of hatred for one’s sins.
The Gospels tell us that Peter went out and wept bitterly. The word means to wail in great agony and grief. Was his sorrow godly or worldly? We can only tell from the results. Judas immediately went out and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:5) He was selfish to the end. When next we see Peter, he has returned to his brothers. When he heard word of the Resurrection, he ran in search of the Lord against whom he had sinned. Later that same day, Peter was completely restored.
One man’s sorrow led to death. The other’s led to salvation and life. That is the difference between worldly and godly sorrow.
Our nation’s rapid moral and spiritual decline is hurtling us towards the point of no return at breakneck speed.
I fear the United States is hastening towards judgment. Where that line of no return is I do not know, but the nation’s rapid moral and spiritual decline is hurtling us towards that terrifying line at breakneck speed. Only divine intervention can turn us from our self-destructive course. We have forsaken the God which gave us a country immersed in a strong Christian heritage; we have abandoned the ancient paths to become a modern barbaric culture (Jeremiah 6:16).
Just prior to my ministering at an urban church the youth pastor taught his unsaved, street level youth group that homosexuality is sin and those practicing it will spend an eternity in hell. One 14 year old girl replied, “Then everyone in my school is going to hell.” This same young woman responded to an altar call I gave while preaching to that youth group. While my wife was ministering to her she asked a serious question: “How can I be a Christian when all my friends are lesbians and my mother is a drug addict?” Bob Just was right when he stated: “Today’s culture is a child molester.” (1)
How can the Lord hold back his just wrath when we are destroying our nation, beginning with our youth? Law Professor Kelly Howard stated, “According to sworn testimony before the U.S. Senate, experts reveal that by the time a female in this country is 18 years old, 38 percent have been sexually molested. One in eight women will be raped. Fifty percent of women will be sexually harassed on their jobs during their lifetimes. In fact, sexual dysfunction is on such a rampant rise that experts are calling it a sexual holocaust.” (2)
There are cultures and nations that are simply not redeemable. This means that they have collectively crossed a line in the practice of evil where they refuse to turn from their sin and are therefore left to God’s wrath. Because a culture becomes unredeemable does not indicate that individuals within that culture cannot be saved. It just signifies that the culture has become so immersed in wickedness that the only thing left for it is destruction. This happens in part because the nature of evil is not understood to be exceedingly wicked and offensive to a holy God, so the practice of evil becomes culturally acceptable.
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The fact that cultures can become unredeemable does not imply that the doctrine of limited atonement is true. The Lord gave mankind an authentic free will and desires every person to be saved. That is why He declared, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11; quoted in 2 Peter 3:9). Though salvation is available to everyone, only those who repent will be saved.
Cultures are made up of individuals who make the conscience moral choices that define the character of the nation or people group. Some cultures become so immersed in evil that they harden themselves against God. Since they reject God’s salvation, He turns them over to their own self-destructive ways (Romans 1:18-32). In essence, they cross a line in their practice of sin where evil is so ingrained into the culture that the only thing left to them is divine wrath.
Examples of unredeemable cultures are abundant in Scripture. The Lord destroyed the world with a flood in Noah’s day. He hailed fire and brimstone down on Sodom. Israel could not conquer the promise land until the evil practices of the Amorites was at its worst (Genesis 15:13-16). King Saul was commanded by God to fully destroy the Amalekites because they had plummeted to the depths of evil in their pursuit of wickedness (1 Samuel 15).
The only safe way we can say that a culture was unredeemable is by looking at Scripture. Otherwise we are left to subjective claims that are based upon our small-minded opinions and highfalutin paradigms. Only God knows the hearts of men, therefore, He alone is able to justly judge men and their cultures.
To label people or cultures as unredeemable is also counterproductive to Christ’s command to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. We must always believe that grace is available to everyone and faithfully strive to present them with the Gospel. Ours is not to decide who is to be saved, but to reach out to everyone no matter their lifestyle or sin.
If all this is true then what is the value of understanding that cultures can become unredeemable? So that we seek God’s face for a national awakening and prepare the way for Him to come to us. In the end, we are either going to experience revival or judgment. Yet even if we had a revival where five million people were genuinely converted, would that deliver the nation from the vile explosion of homosexuality? Would it rescue us from the evils of fornication (which includes people living together outside of marriage)? Do you think that the porn and prostitution trades would cease their practices? Would our state governments and Indian reservations abandon the decadent, yet lucrative business of gambling? Would Hollywood cease propagating the moral and spiritual filth it relentlessly vomits out of its studios?
My fear is that we are nearing the line of no return. Nevertheless, we must remember that all things are possible with God and the story of Nineveh is the perfect example of mercy being shown to an evil culture. The Lord decreed the judgment of Nineveh “because its wickedness has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2). After Jonah preached, the people repented, so the Lord granted mercy. If the Savior was “concerned about that great city” of 120,000 souls (Jonah 4:11), will He not be concerned about America’s millions?
There are two ways we can respond to our nation’s aggressive pursuit of evil. The first is to run away from our responsibility as Jonah did at first. This is what the majority of professing believers are doing today. The second is to follow Jonah’s example and repent. Here lies the only hope—that a deeply repentant church would become a catalyst for an authentic awakening that would transform secular society.
The First Great Awakening in America began in the 1730’s. There were approximately 340,000 people in the country, with roughly 100,000 being alcoholics. At the end of the awakening 50,000 people were saved. An equivalent awakening today would produce 50 million authentic conversions.
Jesus warned that prior to His second coming the world would be like it was in the days of Noah and Sodom (Luke 17:26-30). Those that gather to fight against God at Armageddon will suffer a fate similar to Sodom’s. Finally, mankind’s practice of evil will reach a depth unequaled in history. The Lord will destroy all of creation and then make a new heaven and earth “wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
People, cultures and nations that cross the line in the practice of evil have something worse to fear than the destruction of their culture or of creation itself, and that’s the Great White Throne Judgment. Here the Lord will judge the people as individuals who made their own conscience choices. All who refused to own Jesus as Lord while on earth will suffer an eternity without Him in the Lake of Fire. Even the eternal fires of hell will not purge them of their love of evil. In the Lake of Fire they will truly be unredeemable.
(1) David Kupelian, The Marketing of Evil (Nashville, TN, Cumberland House Publishing, 2005), 78.
(2) David Kupelian, The Marketing of Evil (Nashville, TN, Cumberland House Publishing, 2005), 129.
One of the most prolific sexual predators in history was the Ski Mask Rapist, who began his spree in North Dallas in the summer of 1985.
When one thinks of rape, images of Bill Cosby slipping a date rape drug into the drink of an unsuspecting female admirer come to mind. Indeed, date rape is far more prevalent than any other kind. While it is an inexcusable violation of a woman’s body, there is another type that is far more devastating to its victims. I’m referring to the sexual assault of a stranger who preys on women he doesn’t know.
One of the most prolific sexual predators in criminal history was the Ski Mask Rapist, who began his spree in the suburbs of North Dallas in the summer of 1985. During the following year, he struck again and again, culminating that first year’s attacks with a rush of frenzied behavior in April, 1986—coincidentally the month I officially founded Pure Life Ministries. But to the dismay of Marshall Touchton, a detective assigned to the Sex Crimes unit of the Dallas Police Department, it was only an ominous sign of worse things to come. (1)
For two years Touchton and his team were repeatedly called out in the middle of the night to heartbreaking scenes of traumatized women. Other than the occasional dissimilarity, each story was nearly identical. A young woman was awakened from a sound sleep by a masked man who had thrust a gun to her head. “Don’t make a noise or I will kill you,” the raspy voice would whisper. Those who resisted were punched in the face until they submitted. Sometimes the ordeal would last as long as two hours as the brazen predator would casually take his time, even interspersing his sordid deeds with nonchalant conversation.
Nearly all habitual criminals have an “M.O.,” their own personal signature as to the way they operate. Ski Mask was no different and Touchton began formulating a composite about him through interviews with his growing list of victims.
The first thing that stood out about this man was that he carefully selected his victims. Every one of them was tall, slender and beautiful. Most rapists—like amateur burglars—put very little effort into choosing their targets, preferring instead to seize opportunities as they might present themselves. Detectives knew that the only way this rapist could choose women that were so remarkably similar in appearance was to painstakingly search them out and plan his attack.
The Ski Mask Rapist successfully eluded capture because he was very careful about his trade. Once he had zeroed in on a target—as detectives would later discover—he would stalk the woman to locate her home and then peek in her windows to learn her habits. In some cases he broke into the apartment when she was away so that he could ascertain the layout and locate any possible firearms or valuables. It was clear to police that this enigmatic figure was expending an enormous amount of energy plotting each caper. A rapist is, first and foremost, a sex addict: someone who derives as much sick pleasure from his preliminary rituals as he does from the sexual act itself.
Another piece of the puzzle was that, during the commission of the crime, he often took time to search through the belongings of his victims, stealing only high-priced jewelry. That pattern, coupled with his ability to gain entrance into homes stealthily and efficiently, led officers to believe that he had experience as a professional cat burglar as well. This theory was further confirmed by his thorough removal of anything that could be used as evidence against him.
Another important clue regarding his particular form of deviancy came from his interactions with victims. He was clearly not an “anger rapist,” who uses unnecessarily brutal force during the assault. Even more certain was that he was not a “sadistic rapist,” whose sexual enjoyment involves tormenting or torturing his prey.
No, Ski Mask was clearly what experts call a “power-reassurance rapist.” This perpetrator only uses violence as a last resort, preferring to keep the interaction with his victim as pleasant as possible. One woman even commented that he seemed “to be such a nice guy.” Although he was friendly, he constantly sought—almost demanded—compliments and affirmations about his performance and his physical attributes.
By April 1987 investigators had compiled an impressive dossier on the Ski Mask Rapist. After two years and at least 20 victims, the squad had come to know quite a bit about him. And yet, they were frustratingly no closer to capturing him than when he started his spree.
Then, one night, they finally got the break they were waiting for. A local minister, who also happened to be a reserve police officer, noted the license plate number of an unfamiliar car inexplicably sitting in the parking lot of his church in the middle of the night. Minutes later he heard a report on his police scanner of a rape near his church. He immediately notified police of the strange car, giving them the license plate number.
Police officers were soon knocking at the apartment door of a man named Gilbert Escobedo. He lived with his girlfriend and claimed he had been in bed with her all night. Although she had been sound asleep, she confirmed his alibi. The police knew he was lying, but lacking any positive evidence linking him to the crime, there was nothing they could do. It came as no surprise to detectives when they ran his criminal record and discovered he had a long “rap sheet” of criminal activity, including indecent exposure, window peeping and three burglary convictions. Touchton and his colleagues finally had a name to attach to their elusive criminal. And yet knowing who he was and proving his guilt to a jury were two vastly different things. This would become all too real in the maddening months ahead as victim after victim continued to fall prey to Escobedo’s assaults.
They knew from scientific studies that convicting this man of rape was a long shot. Most rapes aren’t even reported—some estimates being as low as 1 out of every 6. When the police are called in, only 38% result in an arrest. And most of those who are arrested are not convicted. (2) Touchton and his men knew that they were facing a formidable foe with little hope of stopping him.
On April 24, 1990 a terrified college student called police to report a man attempting to break into her apartment. Police were quick to respond and caught Escobedo outside the sliding door in the back of her apartment. He was hauled off to the police station for questioning.
Detectives that had been assigned to the Ski Mask case handled the questioning. All they could hope to pin on him was a charge of attempted burglary. They wanted much more. They desperately wanted to nail him on the entire series of crimes they knew he had committed. The trouble was that none of his victims could identify him, and he had left no physical evidence to connect him to any of his crime scenes. Their only hope of convicting Escobedo was for him to voluntarily confess to his crime spree. As a callous ex-con who was not easily ruffled, this was highly unlikely.
Touchton and his men knew that to gain a confession from this cagey criminal, they would have to persuade him to come clean of his own volition. One tidbit of information the arresting police officers passed along was that Escobedo mentioned he had attended a Bible study that evening at prestigious Prestonwood Baptist Church. This would play a key role in their strategy to rattle Escobedo.
And there was something else in their arsenal. Criminologists had just begun collecting DNA samples at crime scenes to identify suspects with pinpoint accuracy. They counted on the fact that Escobedo had heard about this breakthrough in forensic science.
The investigators decided they would employ a two-pronged attack: They began by telling their suspect that they had DNA samples left behind at a number of his crime scenes. It was a bluff, but it shook him. Then one of the detectives—who happened to be a Christian—approached the suspect as “a brother in the Lord,” appealing to his conscience. “Gilbert, aren’t you tired of carrying this guilt around? Wouldn’t it be better to confess what you have done and make things right with God?”
The plan worked. Escobedo admitted that he was the man they had sought for five long years. He wrote out a confession that he prefaced by saying, “After talking to [the detectives], I voluntarily want to clean up my business, since I am a Christian and I do have a conscience.”
During subsequent interrogations, 48 rapes were definitely attributed to him, but police were certain that number could easily have been as many as 100, since most rapes go unreported.
Through a plea bargain, Gilbert Escobedo received 10 life sentences—to be served concurrently. He would not be eligible for parole for twenty years. And the women of North Dallas let out a collective sigh of relief.
I was on a tour of prisons in Texas as part of Pure Life Ministries’ outreach to sex offenders. I was about to give a talk about overcoming sexual addiction to a group of prisoners. I had already visited a number of high-powered maximum security penitentiaries such as the infamous “Walls Unit” at Huntsville. But the “Duncan Unit” would be a different type of facility—a prison dedicated to housing geriatric inmates. Over half of the 537 prisoners who now call it home are serving sentences of at least 20 years. Most of them were convicted of sex crimes.
Before I entered the chapel, the chaplain tipped me that the infamous Ski Mask Rapist would be in attendance. I entered the chapel and sure enough, Gilbert Escobedo had positioned himself right on the front row, his white uniform fitting snugly to his rotund figure. Although he had gained weight during his years of imprisonment, he carried it fairly well on his 5-foot, 5-inch frame. At 64 years of age, he seemed the picture of health and happiness.
Gilbert nodded his head approvingly as I gave my talk, beaming a smile that indicated he was thoroughly enjoying it. He approached me when I finished, seemingly eager to impress me—a trait he had exhibited in other circumstances so many years before.
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Afterward, I pondered his spiritual condition, wondering if he had ever been born again and truly repented of his crimes. On the one hand, it was hard to dismiss the fact that he had been attending church off-and-on during the entirety of his crime spree. Gilbert Escobedo was an extremely narcissistic egomaniac during his heyday. What stood out to me was the way he would remain with his victims as if he honestly believed the two of them had just enjoyed an intimate time of closeness—oblivious to the fact that the terror-stricken women desperately wanted him to leave. This detachment from reality carried over into his interviews with detectives. When he spoke of his crimes, he seemed unconcerned about the devastation he had brought into the lives of his victims.
On the other hand, there were certainly some circumstances that lent credence to the idea that he had experienced some level of genuine repentance. For one thing, part of his incentive to confess his crimes was a desire to make things right with the Lord. Indeed, in the hours following his confession, he dropped to his knees in his jail cell and asked God to forgive him. But more impressive even than this was the fact that for 25 years after his arrest he never wavered in his Christian confession.
I asked the chaplain if he thought Escobedo was a Christian. “Who knows?” he responded. “He claimed to be a Christian when he committed his crimes.” I suppose that pretty much sums up what any mortal man can know about the true spiritual condition of Gilbert Escobedo.
(1) Much of the material of this article was derived from the excellent book by Howard Swindle, Trespasses: Portrait of a Serial Rapist, Penguin Books, 1996.
(2) Senate Judiciary Committee: “Violence Against Women: The Response to Rape.”
I have been married almost 32 years. Am I really expected to remain faithful when my wife just does not want to have sex anymore?
Can I humbly suggest that this is the wrong question? There are two inferences I can deduce from your question. First, you imply that a man MUST have sex. This is simply not true. Unquestionably, the sexual drive can be a powerful force in a man’s life—although this is typically much more of an issue for young men. Be that as it may, there have been many men who have lived happy, fulfilled lives without sex. It is only when sex has been given undue importance in one’s life that it seems as though the person cannot live without it.
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The second inference I see here is that you feel that adultery would be justifiable under the present circumstances. Such an attitude makes me question your commitment to the Lord. I fully understand the powerful temptation to fall into sexual sin. I sympathize with those who struggle to remain pure but fail in a moment of weakness. However, I must admit, that I cannot imagine anyone who truly has the Spirit of the Living God dwelling within him making such a premeditated justification of adultery.
If I were your counselor, the first thing I would wonder about would be, Why is your wife so adverse to being intimate? What is going on in this relationship that would turn her so cold toward her husband? I would be looking at this relationship to find out what has brought it to this point. And, to be honest with you, the attitude I see expressed in this question would be a huge red flag to me. It seems to indicate a man who sees sex in a completely selfish light.
My suggestion to you is to humbly approach your wife and ask her to forgive you if you have done anything to hurt her. I would also suggest that the two of you find a biblical counselor who can help you sort through the issues of your relationships with God and with each other.
If the statistics are correct, many professing Christians are addicted to all kinds of immorality, and they need spiritual help.
If the Christian statisticians are correct about the extent of sexual sin among evangelicals, then the scandals that have rocked the Church represent only the tip of an enormous iceberg lying just beneath the surface. Clearly, there are multitudes of professing Christians addicted to various forms of immorality, and they desperately need spiritual help.
Paul described those who were qualified to undertake such a challenge: “Brethren, if any person is overtaken in [sin], you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should… restore him…” (Gal. 6:1 AMP) In his commentary on this passage, A.T. Robertson described these candidates as, “The spiritually led, the spiritual experts in mending souls.” (1)
Yes, that’s the answer! We need “spiritual experts in mending souls.” We badly need persons who possess a thorough understanding of the problem and the solution.
The problem is clear: people are indulging themselves in sin. Perhaps less obvious, however, is that certain notions about sin have arisen in the Church that have minimized its evil nature.
For instance, there are those who over-emphasize grace to the point that God is represented as little more than a benign Old Man who veritably chuckles over the cute misdeeds of His children. Then there is the burgeoning psychological community that advocates soothing guilty consciences with intricate and plausible explanations which simply excuse sinful behavior. The result of all of this is a casual, flippant attitude toward defying God’s commandments—hardly the mindset that leads people to victory!
A spiritual expert, on the other hand, understands that sin is “altogether evil.” He comprehends its deceitful nature, its fearful grip and dreadful consequences. He knows that sin separates a person from God’s presence and causes a terrible hardness of heart—not to mention the myriad of emotional problems that accompany it.
Yes, the evil nature of sin is clear to him, but a spiritual expert also knows the way out of such bondage. Jesus, the consummate spiritual expert, told the backslidden Laodiceans to be zealous about repentance. (Rev. 3:19) The root of this word zealous (Gk. zelos) means to be boiling hot. The noun form is zealot, which alludes to what is needed in the Church today: violent men, red-hot in their hatred of sin; men who understand how to lead people out of its malignant clutches. Zealots of repentance! We need saints who understand what it means to walk in repentance as a lifestyle.
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Yes, sexual sin is running rampant in our midst, but the greater crisis is the overall spiritual stagnation of the Church at large. Unless some particular sin is wreaking havoc in their everyday lives, most people feel no compelling need to change. They are content to hear sermons and read books, accepting the false notion that acquiring spiritual information automatically produces spiritual maturity.
Spiritual novices do not understand God’s power to transform a repentant heart because they have not allowed themselves to be broken by God. Thus, their own hardened hearts establish the basis for what they teach others. Out of that stony ground come the kinds of teachings that ignore or minimize the need for ongoing repentance.
My dear brothers and sisters! We need a Revolution of Repentance, led by fervent saints who have learned how to live the secrets of Calvary. Yes, we desperately need “spiritual experts in mending souls.”
Many professing believers today assemble together weekly to exalt God but secretly are weighed down by their idols and hidden sins.
How many professing believers today standing in the pulpit, singing on the worship team, or sitting out in the pews lug around a host of unconfessed sins? Week after week they assemble together to exalt God, but they are weighed down, their spiritual backpacks crammed with all sorts of idols and other hidden sins. Pride. Rebellion. Unbelief. Bitterness. Anger. Unforgiveness. Laziness. Lying. Greed. Envy. Gluttony. Gossip. Lust. Adultery. Fornication. Homosexuality. Pornography. Masturbation. Drunkenness. Substance abuse.
In Galatians 5:19-21, we’re told that “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” That is a very serious consequence. So why aren’t many who profess the name of Christ quick to confess their sins and turn away from them? Does that describe you? Are you weighed down by secret or unconfessed sin?
Are you ok with the “little foxes” which have nearly devastated your vineyards (Song of Solomon 2:15)? Sadly, these religious actors have become so smug and content with their walk with the Lord and their lives in this world that their extreme complacency shields them from the gentle, convicting voice of the Holy Spirit warning them to get their sin out. Obviously quite satisfied with their current spiritual progress, they don’t see their need to repent, nor do they even detect the weight of sin which has stagnated their walk with the Lord. They comprise a congregation of backslidden and lukewarm professors.
Another group simply insists that they are not as bad as their neighbor. When they come under conviction, they are quick to say to themselves, “I don’t get drunk. I don’t do drugs. I’m not out sleeping around. I’m a good person. I love God, and He understands that no one is perfect.” Just like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, outwardly they are close to being squeaky clean. But the truth of the matter is that they are still very much given over to sinful attitudes in their hearts—the secret place where only God sees. Because of this heavy load, their spiritual growth is retarded, and their hunger and passion for God is practically on Empty. As long as the bar is raised no higher than their present level of mediocrity, they won’t ever achieve the spiritual momentum to soar like eagles (Isa. 40:31). Nor will they ever produce any substantial fruit for God’s Kingdom or experience the peace and abundant life in Jesus that God has for them.
Then there are those who, like King David after his adulterous affair and murderous plot (Ps. 32:3-4), are unwilling to bring their sin into the light. Needless to say, they are most miserable! While God’s hand presses down upon them, somehow they manage to erect thick self-protective walls to keep others from knowing who they really are. To further avoid exposure, they strive to keep up a good “Christian image” outwardly—while carrying their hidden sin around with them. They are so loaded down that they aren’t able to run the race to which they were called.
Despite their differences, each of the three groups described above are stuck spiritually under the weight of their unconfessed sin. But there is hope! Proverbs 28:13 describes accurately what you are likely experiencing - an inability to “prosper”. Your sins are handicapping you from the abundant life Jesus desires for us. But continuing reading the Proverb, and you are given the opportunity to break free from the burden of sin you’ve been carrying.
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In each case there is only one way of escape: Repentance. Sinners can bring their heavy burdens to the One who bore their sins on the old rugged cross. Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior, took upon Himself the sin of the whole world. Imagine the tremendous weight He joyfully bore for wretched sinners like us so that sin would no longer have dominion over us (Rom. 6:14)!
True repentance involves more than admitting one’s guilt. It involves brokenness and godly sorrow leading to a willful turning away from sin to obey and please the Lord (2 Cor. 7:10). Because of the finished work of Christ at Calvary, every weight can be lifted off of a repentant sinner once such a genuine confession before God has been made.
To avoid becoming weighed down by sin, our daily prayer should be, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139: 23-24).
Secondly, spending time in the Word of God each day, studying and meditating on Truth, will make us available to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and keep us in the light (Psalm 119:105). It will direct us to lay “aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save [our] souls” and will help us to be doers of the Word, rather than mere hearers who only go into spiritual delusion (James 1:21-22).
Lastly, whenever the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin either through the Word, through a sermon, or directly through a person, we must be quick to repent. That is, we agree with God that the sin He’s exposed in our heart is sin, and then we immediately turn away from it back to our Redeemer.
No Christian need go one day longer bearing the guilt and shame of unconfessed sin. You don’t have to. You need only bring your sin out into the light, nail it on the Cross, and get back on the Straight and Narrow. Then you will soon discover the joyous liberty that Christ purchased on Calvary.
You finally surrendered your life to God. Suddenly you’re ambushed by the enemy and you give in. Here are two things you need to remember.
You were doing well. Your life in God was growing. It had been months since you had fallen into sin. For the first time in years you were feeling as though it was behind you. It seemed as though you were emerging from a long, dark tunnel. Your prospects looked bright. God’s hand was blessing. Hope filled your heart. All of this pointed to the fact that you had crossed a line: you had finally surrendered your life to God.
Then suddenly, when you least expected it, you were bushwhacked by the enemy. Perhaps you were innocently writing emails when a pornographic email showed up in your inbox. You were temporarily bewitched by it and found yourself opening it before you could even gather your defenses against the assault. The pull was tremendous. After it was over you felt devastated.
Or maybe an old boyfriend suddenly showed up when you were in a particularly weak state of mind. You had just been thinking how much you wish there was someone to love you, to hold you… Then your phone rang and you heard that familiar voice. The bad memories and the reasons you had cut off the relationship seemed to evaporate. “Someone to hold you…” The words seemed to echo in your mind. Before you knew what had happened, you were leaving a hotel room, so disgusted with yourself that you were physically sick.
Whatever the case may be, you need to be reminded of a couple of things.
This means that as a born again believer, sin will not and cannot hold you. You may have your struggles for a time, but your victory is assured. You have the Spirit of the living God indwelling you. You will find that as your relationship with Christ grows so too will your determination and strength to resist temptation.
Once a person truly repents of his sin and submits to the lordship of Jesus Christ, Satan can no longer hold him in sin. The power of sin is broken. The best the devil can hope to do now is to try to lure him back through temptation.
When the enemy determines to plot the downfall of a believer, he can only work within the boundaries set forth by God. As Paul pointed out, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it." (I Corinthians 10:13) The veteran apostle does not promise a life free of temptations, but rather that God will keep them within His limits and always provide a way of escape in order that the believer may continue to stand.
Someone once said, “Failure is not falling down; it is remaining there when you have fallen.” That is so true! Every single believer I have ever known who has gained the victory over sexual sin did so after many defeats.
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The way it typically happens is like this: The person begins to feel a growing sense of being fed up with the consequences of his sin. He is tired of being a hypocrite. At some point, in utter exacerbation with his condition, a surrender to God occurs in his heart. An emotional experience may or may not accompany this pivotal spiritual decision. From that day forth, he begins to grow in strength. His failures become more seldom. Before long, victories outnumber defeats. It is not unusual for him to walk in freedom for a time, only to fall once again to some temptation. For the true believer, this final spiritual fall is usually the last. Failure is not final; it is often only the door into a life of victory. Nevertheless, you can be assured that some lying devil will do its utmost to remind you of your past string of failures so that you won’t look with hope to the certain victory that is yours.
Yes, we are in a war on this planet earth. The devil rages all around us. And although the city of Satan may open its gates and vomit every vile spirit of hell against us, in the end, their failure is assured. And the next time you are feeling wearied by the battle or discouraged by some failure, remember the words spoken by the Captain of the host: “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18 KJV)
You’ve gained victory over your lust, but you sense you have started relapsing. What could be the reason for temptation’s renewed strength?
Recently, an old friend of mine named William confided to me over the phone that he was becoming discouraged about his thought-life. Although he pastors a thriving congregation in a big city, he has had to battle with sexual lust for his entire Christian life. Over the years William has gradually gained the victory over lust, but recently it seemed as though all the ground he had gained had been lost. Every time he went out into public, his hormones seemed to rage within him. The body of every pretty girl he happened across came under his intense scrutiny. “It seems like I can’t even control myself anymore,” he lamented to me.
I have learned from experience that men who are maturing in the Lord concurrently grow in their strength to deny the temptation to lust. I knew William sincerely loved the Lord and was faithful in his daily devotions. Something had to be amiss for him to have such a pronounced lapse in his thought-life. A person doesn’t simply start failing for no reason. Just as there are cause-and-effect laws that govern the physical realm, likewise there are laws that operate in the spiritual realm.
As we talked, I began asking probing questions, looking for clues that would solve “the case.” It wasn’t long before I could see the problem. The growing power of lust had really come about through a series of seemingly unrelated events.
It began when two separate couples in his congregation—both of whom had been offended with him over trivial matters—had banded together and were now causing division in the church. Their backbiting and divisiveness had been extremely painful to William.
Although he rarely watched secular TV anymore (because of its carnality), he now found himself uncustomarily plopping down in front of the television set when he got home from work every day. He was attempting to escape the painful reality of what was happening in his church through the mind-numbing effects of TV watching.
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“William, I think I know what your problem is,” I told him. “I want you to open your Bible and read Romans 13:14 to me.”
It took him a minute to get his Bible and find the passage. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts,” he finally said.
“Even though the Lord certainly understands what you’ve been going through, the spiritual principle of reaping and sowing to the flesh still applies. The enemy has beaten you down lately—and at a time when you really needed the Lord’s strength—you have turned to the TV set instead. Not only have you missed out on the spiritual refreshment that comes from being in the presence of the Lord, you have exacerbated your problems by feeding your flesh. You see, making provision for the flesh literally means to provide for its sustenance—to keep it alive and healthy—and that is what you have been doing by watching television. So here’s what I recommend to you:
And that is exactly what William did. His phone call to me a few days later telling me how much better he felt didn’t surprise me. It certainly is true: “the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption.” But just as true is the rest of the verse: “the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Those who say Christianity is for wimps are clueless about what is required. It is easy to live for self. It takes courage to live for God.
By its very nature, Christianity requires a life of violence. Jesus told His followers, “Strive (Gk. agonizomai) to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” (Luke 13:24) This term is where we get the English word “agonize,” but it also reflects the battle involved. For instance, Jesus told Pilate, “If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting (agonizomai)…” (John 18:36) Using the root of this word (agon), Paul later wrote, “Fight the good fight of faith…” (1 Timothy 6:12)
Those who say that Christianity is for wimps (“Christians need a crutch”) are clearly clueless about what is really involved. What could be more difficult than to resist every natural inclination… to learn to replace self-trust with dependency on an invisible Being… to constantly strive to put the needs of others before your own… to resist every temptation to exalt or defend oneself… to take great care to find and live the will of God? The truth is that any wimp or coward can live for their self, but it takes great courage to live for God.
One of the first discoveries of a new believer is the inner turmoil that comes with his newfound faith. Paul summed up “the war within” when he wrote, “For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.” (Galatians 5:17 AMP)
What a fierce battle the Christian must wage against his lower nature! It is a lifelong war that he has entered. He even discovers that his old thinking—which still haunts him—is actually the enemy of God. (Romans 8:7) Nearly everything he so passionately pursued in the past—through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life—must now be renounced and forsaken.
Not only must he battle his old nature, he discovers that the minute he accepted Christ, he pitted himself against a murderous spiritual being. The very name Satan means adversary and he will do everything within his power to resist, overcome, persecute or lure away the saint. The devil and his demonic followers will stop at nothing in their malignant desire to resist the efforts of Christians and drag people to hell.
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Another early discovery of the new believer is that he now must swim upstream against the current of popular thinking. Oftentimes, even his family and friends rise up against him, thinking he has gone off the “deep end.” He has made himself an outcast of this world system, the subject of my book, Intoxicated with Babylon:
“Supplied with this new evidence, I did a thorough study of the word kosmos (world) in the Scripture, reminding myself that kosmos meant ‘an ordered existence apart from God.’ What became clear to me was that, although sometimes the word refers to everyone living on the planet earth, it is primarily used to describe the corporate consciousness of the people of this world who are in rebellion to God's authority. Kosmos is what binds together the unbelieving world. It is a global mentality that remains an unspoken, yet powerful force in the lives of mankind. It molds vastly different people groups into one entity which lives out its existence on earth under the domain of Satan, unified against God.”
No wonder John wrote, “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. (But) whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” (1 John 3:13; 5:4)
Unquestionably, the Christian life is one which must be fought through from beginning to end. But there is yet more. Not only must he battle “the world, the flesh and the devil,” he must also enter the life-and-death struggle for lost souls. Unconverted people are heading right into eternal damnation. The terrifying implications of the eternal fate of unbelievers are always on the mind of the true believer. This was undoubtedly what drove the apostle Paul to fight for the lost of his day. He told the Colossians, “And for this purpose also I labor, striving (agonizomai) according to His power, which mightily works within me. For I want you to know how great a struggle (agon) I have on your behalf…” (Colossians 1:29-2:1) His final words to Timothy summed up his life: “I have fought (agonizomai) the good fight (agon), I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
The First Century person who made the decision to follow Christ clearly understood that his life would henceforth require one, long battle. He did not need to be taught this; it was simply an obvious fact of life. The Redeemer had been tortured to death. Other Christian leaders had already suffered martyrdom. It was clear that the rest of his life would be a journey of “toils, dangers, and snares.
Life is much different for those of us who live in a nation that has been Christianized. The lack of outward persecution has created a much subtler battle: lethargy. The lines have become blurred in our country. The common myth is that good people go to heaven and bad people (i.e. Hitler, Manson, etc.) go to hell. Nearly everyone considers themselves to be Christian.
Nevertheless, Scripture clearly teaches that true Christianity always equates to battle. Yes, it is very true, “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.”
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